Hand truck



E. RUFFNl-:R

HAND TRUCK Oct. 23, 1928.

Filed Sept. n26, 1927 www ATTOR N EY E. RUFFNER Oct. 23, 1928.

HAND TRUCK Filed Sept. 26, 1927 3 Sheets-Shee'tl BY M ATTORNEY Oct. 23, 1928.

E. RUFFNER HAND TRUCK Filed Sept. 26, 1927 jjio.

pum uP STACK'ING 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 MMM ` ATTORNEY titi Patented Get. 2?, 1928.

UNITE STATES EARL RUFFNER, F WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS.

lHAND TRUCK.

Application led September My invention relates to hand trucks `and more particularly to hand trucks having a tiltable dumping or stacking frame such as disclosed in 1n 1 co-pending application iiled May 13, 1927, erial Number 191,145.

A An object of this invent-ion is to provide a strong and durable hand truckand which is improved generallyvover the invention disclosed in my co-pen-ding application referred to.

Another object resides in the provision of a hand truck wherein the tiltable lifting or dumping frame is actuated by an improved foot operated mechanism which upon being operated to elevate the frame causes the latter to remain in elevated position until it is lowered by reversely operating the foot operated mechanism.

With the preceding and other objects and advantages inl mind the invention consists in the combination of elements, construction, arrangement of parts and operation to be hereinafter specifically referred to, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein f Figure 1 is a perspective of my improved hand truck with the lifting or dumping frame y in elevated position;

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure '1;

Figure 3 is al vertical longitudinal sectional view of the invention;

Figure 4 is a vertical section on the line 4 4 of Figure 3; i y

' Figure 5 is a side elevationrof the truck with Y the foot actuated mechanism in d epressed position and the lifting or dumping frame elevated,` parts of the latter being shown in section;

Figure 6 is an elevation illustrating the manner in which the truck is manipulated to Y pick up a bale or other object; and

f Figures 'Zand 8 are elevations of the truck as employed for stacking ordouble-deeking operations. 'Referring to the invention a horizontal supporting frame 5' is vprovidedmade up of longitudinally extending angle irons 6 con- -nected adjacent their rear ends by a-transverse angle iron 7. l l

To control the truck tubular handles 3 extend longitudinally fromthe rear'ends of the angle bars 6 and are attached theretol by suitable fastenings 4.V Ground engaging? wheels S are provided which are jour-nailed 26, 1927. Serial No. 222,054.

on a shaft 9 extendingtransversely beneath the frame and engaged in il-shaped bearings or brackets 10 depending from the angle irons 6 intermediate their ends in transverse alignment. These bearings or brackets are fashioned from pairs of angle irons arranged with their lower ends in overlapping relation. To normally support the frame in horizontal position when the truck is stationary, V- shaped legs 11 formed of angle iron are attached to the under faces of the angle irons 6 rearwardly of the wheels 8.

The invention provides means whereby the truck may be bodily tilted to a substantially vertical position to facilitate the picking up of a bale or other load, consisting of a pair of transversely aligned rockers 13 disposed upon opposite sides of the frame 5 and in transverse alignment lwith the wheels. Each of the rockers consists of a longitudinal bowed rocker element 13 from which an inverted V- shaped swinging bracket 14 extends, the latter having a sleeve or bearing 15 formed at its upper end. As illustrated in Figure 1 the swinging brackets are formed from lengths of-tubing and are arranged with one leg of each bracket resting upon and secured to the rocker elements intermediater their ends -by welding, as at 16, while the lower ends of the other legs are iiattened as at 17, and riveted to the extreme endsof the rocker elements. A brace 18 extends from the rear end of each rocker to the adjacent leg of its swinging bracket. To mount the rockers on the frame a fixed shaft19 extends transversely of the frame through its angle bars 6 at their center and receives the sleeves or bearings 15 thereon. Nuts 20 are threaded upon the ends of the shaft to retain the sleeves or bearings in lace.

Atiltable load lifting frame 21 formed of channel iron is provided. This frame 2l is U-shaped and its extremities are pivotally mounted upon a laterally movable shaft 22 extending transversely across .thev forward end ofv thev frame, the shaft being supported loosely by arms 23 pivoted upon the ends ofl a transverse horizontal rod 24 carried by the forward ends of the angle bar 6. Collars 25 are provided on the shaft 22 and rod 24 respectively to retain the arms against lateral movement.` s

Normally the tiltable frame'21 is disposed in a horizontal position on the framel 5 and spared ,relation thereto. Fer this purpose lun a pair of cross bars 26 extend transversely across the angle bars 6 andf are supported above these angle bars by pairs of trans-`V versely aligned upstandingplates 27 attached to the angle bars.

assing through the ends ot the channel memers andlre'ceivin'g nuts 33.

vertically extending bearingiplates 34 are carried bythe channel members at their centers and are pivotally supported on a fixed Ahorizontally disposed shaft; 35,the' latter be-Y ngi disposed transversely of the frame and Y vertically adjustable in' series of vertically aligned openings 36' in the` channel members 10. i A

A- 'short length ot pipe 37' provided? with' a pair of pipe" unions 38 extends transversely of the tiltable 'rameiQl intermediate. its ends and attached thereto by tie rod 39 withy which nuts" 40 are'engaged'.` Couplings 41l identical to the Couplings 3S' are fixed to'the tubular r'r'iember'li carried at the forward ends of the channellmembers 30 and connecting thesecoupli'ngsi'sa pair of parallel tubular arms 421 VAn actuating lever made upf of channel shaped" members 43is pivotally mountedupon the shaft 9` 'inward-ly'v with respect to the ground engaging wheels 8'; These 'channel shaped members are disposed in parallelism for approximately one-half their length, but for thelremainder of their lengths converge as at 44 and are connected together by aI tie rod 45r passing! through a .short lengthf of tubing 461inter'posed'b'etween and spacing. the rear' ends of the levers 431 A foot engaging yoke47 is carredby the rear ends of the levers and is ma'de up of channel members 48 pivoted upon the tie ro'd 45 and connected at their opposite ends by a tie rod' 49 receiving a tubular foot engaging n+1'einher 50'.

Interp'osedy between' the channel shaped members 43 intermediate' their ends and mounted' on a: tie' rod 51 connecting these charmer shaped nieinbers is a tubular member 5 2. Ifivotallly mounted on the' tubular' members 31 and52 are pairs of T Vfittings 53' and connected with these pairs ottV fittings are tubular arms 54. Colll'ars55 are h'elfd on the tubular member 3l at the inner ends of the fittings 53 thereon to retain the fittings andY tubular arms against lateral shifting.

' Withthe tiltabl'e frame resting on the supporting rods 25 the levers 43 assume an obliqueangular position with respect to the verticalwith tlietoot engaging yoke disposed at the level of the trame 5 at the rear end thereof and the channel members 30 disposed in a vertical position; n

To'actu'ate the tiltable frame 21 to elevated position to throw the load forwardly from the` truck as'indicated in Figures 7 and 8, the lever 43 is depressed by the operators foot engaged with yol-:e 47 to swing. the channel memb-erson the aXis 35 to the position illustratedr in Figure 5,- whielr shifts the arms 42 longitudinally thereby tilting the frame 2l on its axis.V Reversely, to lower the tiltable ramefthe lever 43 is swung upwardly to the pontion indicated in-Figure' 3.

l. In af hand truck awheeled trame, afload ejecting frame pivotally attached thereto and normally disposed horizontally thereon, a lever pivotally mounted beneath thes trame intermediate its ends to swing about a horizontal axis, an' operating lever operatively connected with one end' of the first mentioned leverandI an operativeconnection between the opposite endY of the'iirst mentioned lever and the load ejecting frame whereby toelevate the load ejecting frameuponmovement of the operating lever in, onedirection,y the. operating lever being normally" retained iny an out-ottheeway position incident to thenormal posiy tionot the ejecti'ngf frame. v

2i In a' handf truck awheeled irai-me',1 a normally horizontal loadejecting framefpivotaglly connected' therewith,N af pair of longitudinal members connectedY together at' their ends and pivotally supportedy intermediate their endsto4 swing about a" horizontal axislaplurality of parallel arms operatively connected witli the longitudinal members at one' end thereof and having their opposite ends connetted-witht the load ej'ecting. trame-y anormally angularly disposed operating lever pivotally supported beneath the wheeled trame and having operative' connection-v with the* oppositeY ends oit the longitudinal members whereby upon rocking. of the operating lever in one direction, the longitudinal members will' be` rocked and? the load ejecti'ng frame tilt-ed' to' av lsubstantially upright position.

3. In a hand truclr a wheeled frame, aload Y ejecting framepivotally attached thereto and normal-ly disposed` in a horizontal position thereon, a swinging member supported' beneath the wheeled framey and normally dis` posedt 1n aI substantially vertical posi-tion,I an operating lever pivotally mounted beneath the wheeled frame,- an operative) connection between the opposite ends of the' swinging member, l'o'ad ej'ectin'g frame and operating lever whereby the latter is normally retained away from the ground' incident toF the horizontal' position of the loa'dI ejecting fr.ame,the operating lever being movable towardspthe ground to swing the swinging member ina direction to lift the load ejecting frame to a substantially vertical position.

4. In a hand truck a Wheeled frame, a load ejecting frame pivotally attached thereto and normally disposed in a horizontal position thereon, a swinging member supported beneath the wheeled frame and normally disposed in a substantially vertical position7 an operating lever pivotally mounted beneath the wheeled iframe, an operative connection between the opposite ends ot the swinging member, load ejecting frame and operating lever whereby the latter is normally retained away from the ground incident to the horizontal position of the load ejecting frame7 the operating lever being movable towards the ground to swing the swinging member in a direction to lift the load ejecting frame to a substantially vertical position, and rockers depending from the wheeled frame whereby the latter may be disposed in a vertical position for loading.

5. In combination a horizontally disposed wheeled frame, a load ejecting frame pivotally connected therewith, a normally substantially vertically disposed swinging member supported beneath the iframe7 longitudinally shiftable rods operatively connected with the swinging member and load ej ecting frame, an operating lever pivotally connected with the wheeled frame, and an operative connection y forward ends pivotally supported beneath y the wheeled frame, a foot engaging element carried by the free ends of the longitudinal members, a swinging member beneath the wheeled traine, and operative connection between one end of the swinging member and the longitudinal members and the oppositev endso'f the swinging member and load ejecti ing frame whereby to raise and lower the latter incident to the raising and lowering of the connected longitudinal members.

VEARL RUFFNER. 

